Blog

VSH Offers Meaningful Volunteer Experiences

What makes a volunteer experience meaningful? A feeling of connection to the community? A sense of contributing to a cause you feel passionate about? An awareness that your action is a real response to a real need?

At Virginia Supportive Housing, we seek to transform the lives of our community’s homeless population by providing permanent housing and support services, and volunteers can play a critical role in that mission. A variety of opportunities are available at VSH for both individuals and groups that promote meaningful connection, engagement, and action.

Whether you are landscaping one of our affordable housing properties, collecting food & toiletry items, assembling move-in packages, or helping to serve a holiday meal to our clients (see the photos on our Facebook page!), VSH is a place where volunteers can transform and be transformed by their service.

Ready to be transformed? To apply or find out more, contact the volunteer coordinator at 804-836-1061 or [email protected].

Rethinking the American Dream

For years I have been complaining about the emphasis in this country on homeownership to the detriment of rental housing.  Every neighborhood and community plan I have ever looked at has an increase in homeownership as the top goal and priority.  It’s hard to even find anything in these plans about rental housing, except to make sure it is maintained and doesn’t come tumbling down.

Last month, there was an article in the Washington Post by Charles Lane entitled “Doubling Down on the Wrong Housing Policy” that explores the dangers and consequences of our national obsession with homeownership—namely the current housing crisis. The article argues for a “fundamental change in strategy… a more level playing field between owning and renting.”

It’s not that there’s anything wrong with homeownership.  I’m a homeowner and I like it.  But not everyone can afford to own a home and some people shouldn’t.  When we as a nation put homeownership on a pedestal, renting becomes second class.  When was the last time you heard someone say they don’t want to be a homeowner?  As Mr. Lane says in his article, there is no shame in being a tenant.  People who rent should not be made to feel like second class citizens.  Renting is okay.  More than that, we should stop setting goals for homeownership.  Let’s come up with a housing policy that puts homeownership and renting on an equal footing.

Our goals could be very simple: everyone should have a place to live; everyone should pay what they can afford for where they live; everyone or no one should get a tax break for where they live; and everyone should take care of the place they live to the best of their ability.  I know.  I live in a dream world.  That’s never going to happen.  Well, for the meantime, let’s at least stop calling homeownership the American dream.  Look where that’s gotten us!

Stories of Hope – Giving Thanks

How do we know if our work is meaningful? There are statistics for achievement, notably that 90% of our clients do not return to homelessness, but what does that mean to the people we serve? There are faces behind the statistics—living, breathing individuals whose lives are changed by having a safe place to call home. It is in their stories that you learn why we do what we do. This is one of our Stories of Hope.

For years I was homeless, 8 to be exact. I have been hospitalized for mental illness as well as serving time for various non-violent crimes. One of my worst memories of being homeless is being cold. Because of frostbite and severe nerve damage to my feet I have a half a foot and can barely walk at times.

Most people don’t recognize what the homeless population goes through. Most people degrade you or think you are nothing when you are homeless or mentally or physically disabled. I felt so alone and helpless until Virginia Supportive Housing’s A Place To Start program came my way. A Place To Start is just that, a place to start, but with help.

At a time when I thought no one cared if I lived or died I met the A Place To Start team. I know I’m not just a number or name to them. They really care, the quality time that I get with my caseworkers has been a big help to me. I guess what I am trying to say is that everyone there considers and recognizes me as a real person. I thank God for them.

Since I have been in the program I have not been hospitalized or incarcerated. I have been able to stay on my medication which is something I’ve never been able to do on a consistent basis. And it feels good to have a nice clean place to live that is mine. My apartment rent is 30% of my monthly income and the rest is subsidized. So instead of paying $500 to $600 dollars for a room, I have my own apartment for less than $120 dollars a month.

So to sum it all up, if I hadn’t started A Place To Start when I did, I would be still be homeless or I’d be dead. It is hard to put it all in words. I can’t begin to explain to you the pain and agony that I have felt in my life. Now I am happy about all my accomplishments I have made and the people who help me get through it. I feel proud now. I know that I am somebody. I am very proud and have much love and respect for VSH and A Place To Start. Thank God I now have a place to start.

Thank you,

Jerome Roberts
A Place To Start Client

To learn more about the A Place To Start program click here.

Working Together to End Homelessness

For this week’s blog, I have asked Allison Bogdanovic, VSH’s Director of Housing Development, to write a few words about regionalism and homelessness.
Thanks, Alice

Virginia Supportive Housing (VSH) has been selected to present a workshop entitled “Regional Solutions to Housing Challenges” at the 2009 Governor’s Housing Conference scheduled for Nov. 18 through 20, in Norfolk.

Just as no individual should have to go it alone in the fight against homelessness, neither should one particular jurisdiction. Homelessness does not end at a city boundary. It hurts the social capital and economic growth opportunities for an entire region.

Regional collaboration is not a new concept. Local jurisdictions often work together to achieve efficiency in the global marketplace. Regions also take advantage of geograph¬ic proximity to unite around common interests, such as transportation or work force development.

All localities benefit from a reduction in homelessness.

• Regional support is cost effective. If each city contributes to the development, one city does not carry the entire financial burden.
• The development improves the region’s quality of life by reducing homelessness, incorporating green building and contributing to revitalization efforts.

VSH believes that regional collaboration is the key to addressing homelessness at a time of local and state budget limitations.

In late 2006, South Hampton Roads became home to the first regional supportive housing residence of its kind in the nation with the opening of Gosnold Apartments in Norfolk. The localities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Portsmouth provided funding and rental subsidies. Developed and operated by Virginia Supportive Housing, Gosnold houses 60 formerly homeless individuals in studio apartments.

In 2008, Virginia Supportive Housing created Cloverleaf Apartments in Virginia Beach, the second regional permanent supportive housing development for homeless single adults in the region. This successful model is being repeated in Portsmouth with the development of South Bay Apartments, expected to open in the fall of 2010. As with Cloverleaf, the four cities of South Hampton Roads are providing funding and rental subsidies.

VSH is also building an addition to South Richmond Apartments located on Hull Street Road. The addition will provide twenty-one new studio apartments with comprehensive supportive services for formerly homeless single adults from the Richmond area with regional support from the City of Richmond, Henrico County, and Chesterfield County.

With permanent housing and support services, formerly homeless individuals improve their health, incomes and housing stability. Virginia Supportive Housing has a 90 percent success rate in assuring that its tenants and program participants do not return to homelessness.

Portions of this blog were originally published on November 5, 2008 in the Op-Ed section of The Virginian-Pilot.

Veterans Day

I have asked Heather Orrock, Virginia Supportive Housing’s Development Director to be my first guest blogger. Other VSH staff and “friends” will be providing blog posts in the future. Thanks.

Alice

Tomorrow is Veterans Day. A day we honor those who have served in our military; who have risked, and for some given, their lives for our freedom. Working at Virginia Supportive Housing (VSH) I’m continually reminded of what these individuals have sacrificed for our country and for me.

Currently, VSH provides permanent supportive housing to 53 veterans through our programs and properties in both Richmond and South Hampton Roads. Today, the National Alliance to End Homelessness released an update to the veterans report: Vital Mission: Ending Homelessness Among Veterans. One of the reports’ recommendations is creating more permanent supportive housing options for veterans. To read more click here.